Kingdom Hearts: Path in Flames
by PetrolPatrol
Summary: We know the story of Master Eraqus' doomed Keyblade Wielder pupils, and the battle against Xehanort that began from it. But what if you were told Eraqus had another pupil? Ignis, a Keyblade Wielder tainted by the darkness, is unsealed and accidentally given a second beginning. Can she quell the darkness inside her and save the one she loves? Follow her new path, her Path in Flames.
1. Chapter 1

(( Welcome to my fanfiction! Thank you for stopping by and reading~ I started it on deviantart, but decided to also post it here on . I do a lot of art to go along with my fanfiction, so if you want to see it, stop by my page. I have the same exact username there, PetrolPatrol.

I had this idea when I played Birth by Sleep. I noticed that Terra, Aqua, and Ventus sort of represent the elements earth, water, and air (at least in name), so I was thinking, what about the element of fire? So I created Ignis! And with the help of my really good friend who knows everything about KH, I started writing~

This story takes place going on in the background of the games (as in, it could actually happen, you're just not seeing it in the games), so I'm sticking to canon and being accurate as much as possible. Obviously small details are tweaked, and it's going to intersect with Sora's adventure at some point (in which it will be my own continuation of Kingdom Hearts), but yeah. Not everything is explained off the bat, I reveal it little by little.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy my story! Without further ado, let's start~))

. . .

"Gee, I mean really..." Lea groaned, carelessly tossing aside the popsicle stick of the finished sea salt ice cream. "Maybe we need to find something better to do for once. I mean really, breaking into the castle? Total waste of time. Why did we even want to do that? Lame..."

Isa glanced at him, raising an eyebrow in doubt.

"Okay, yeah, we'll formulate plan B for getting back in later," Lea chuckled with an ambitious smirk.

"Thought so," Isa replied with a small smile and a shake of his head.

Though, that would have to wait until another day, as the sun had just set over the horizon. Did the castle hold the key to somewhere else out there? To another star in the sky? Sometimes the boys felt like there was something bigger out there for the both of them. Isa looked up to the stars as they became more visible in the night sky. Who knew what kind of worlds were out there, but...

Flickering. One of the stars was flickering. Going out? No, it almost seemed to change color. There was still something shining there, but it was almost as dark as the sky right now. Odd...

"Hey! Stargazing back there? Boring!" Lea laughed, a bit ahead of Isa now.

Isa shrugged. After taking one last look towards the direction where he saw the odd star, he continued on his way with Lea.

.x.X.x.

"Pitiable creature..." the deep raspy voice let out with a hint of amusement.

The Land of Departure was gone. Destroyed, though not entirely. At least, it wasn't was it once was. But his thoughts weren't with the boring, little world. Rather, what was once contained inside it.

Xehanort decided it was an unimportant issue. That wretched girl would never be strong enough to really get in his way of his grand plans. If she did reappear in his future, then she might be useful.

For now, he had a meeting with three particular keyblade wielders to tend to, at a world where a great war was once waged. "Good luck, Ignis..." he sneered.

.x.X.x.

Lea hung upside down on a tree branch in the garden the next morning, his face scrunched up in thought.

"Blood rushing to your head won't be good for planning," Isa remarked, standing at the base of the same tree while leaning back against the trunk.

"Well being upright while planning last time didn't seem to work, so I'm trying a new perspective!" Lea huffed.

Isa shook his head in response with a sigh. But before Lea could continue with his banter, a sort of chill settled over the area. The sun was out, yet the garden seemed a little darker somehow.

"Isa..." Lea let out, sensing the change. He started to pull himself back upright again. But before he could finish his thought, the ground was rocked underneath them, and the air was filled with zaps of dark energy! Lea fell out of the tree as Isa crouched to the ground to steady himself.

Everything cleared up, the warmth returning and the ground settling. But there was a change in the garden. Someone new stood in the middle of it, where the source of the darkness had seemed to come from.

Her back was turned to them, standing there motionless as the dust settled. Though, she turned her head a bit to look in their direction. Instead of normal eyes, her eyes were pure yellow, glowing menacingly. Suddenly, the glow faded quickly, her eyes shifting to normalcy. The girl didn't say anything, just standing there quietly.

"H-hey," Lea said, raising an eyebrow. He approached her with little to no fear, rather characteristic of him. Isa was close behind, wondering about what just happened.

The girl glanced to them a little, though didn't fully turn to face them.

"You, um... You new here?" Lea asked, really unsure of what to make of her, or her sudden appearance. The darkness had been unsettling, but she didn't look like a threat at the moment.

"Just... stay away from me..." she quietly said.

"... What?" Lea let out, confused.

"Don't come closer," she declared, looking upset. With that, she ran away from the boys, leaving them very confused.

And curious.

.x.X.x.

It had been three days since the girl in the garden had arrived. Yet Lea and Isa hadn't found a single trace of her since then. Judging by what she said to them before running off, perhaps she just didn't want to be found. The boys were a bit intrigued by her sudden appearance, since she didn't seem to belong in Radiant Garden. Was she connected to Ven? They definitely had some questions to ask.

"You know, I've heard lots of times that you find missing things when you're not looking for them. Maybe we should just give up for now. We still have to figure out how to get into the castle, you know?" Lea suggested as they ate sea salt ice cream again in the garden area.

Isa gave a small nod in response, his mind on the castle already.

"Maybe we can find a back entrance. Or a window, or something. Something hidden, where no one will see us!" Lea smiled ambitiously. He took a good sized bite out of the ice cream, wanting finish it fast and to look for another way in before the sun set. He groaned and doubled over, holding his head. "Brain freeze! Brain freeze!"

Isa just smiled and shook his head a little.

.x.X.x.

Isa wandered towards his home, the sun setting over the horizon. The search for a secret entrance didn't work. That's why it was called a 'secret entrance', after all. They would look for windows next time. Ones that didn't have too many people passing by on the inside. That most likely meant they have to scale the wall, and get into a higher window.

Isa came to a halt, as he headed across the central area of the town, with the flower patches and small waterfalls. He spotted the girl from days ago sitting on the close-to-the-ground edge of one of the flower planters. She stared up at the sky as the stars started to appear. She didn't notice Isa, as he was coming down the short stairs from behind her.

As not to startle her, he took a more wide path around and came into her view. She looked to him blankly, seemingly not intending to run this time. Isa took a seat on the edge of the flower planter near her, as she looked back up to the stars. Isa noticed that her attention was directed to where the star that had turned dark days ago was located in the sky. He looked in the same direction, remaining silent for a few moments.

"Was that your star?" he finally asked.

"I suppose so... Maybe..." she quietly responded.

"You're from another world out there." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes... And I'm not going back," she responded.

"You'll stay here?" he asked.

"... Yeah. For now. Until I figure out what I should do. ... I just want to forget about everything first," she said. She didn't seem to be sad when she talked, though she obviously happy either. Distant. That would describe it.

Isa nodded, deciding to not talk about it anymore. "Where are you staying then?"

She looked to him, raising an eyebrow. She obviously didn't want him to know at the moment. Without another word, she got up, patting the little bit of dirt off her behind before going to walk away.

"You're name. What is it?" Isa asked before she could go.

The girl from another world stopped, not looking back at him as she debated on whether he should know or not. "... Ignis," she finally responded. "Call me Ignie, though."

"So we'll be seeing you again?" Isa asked, going to stand up.

"... If I gave you my nickname, I suppose so," she said, turning to smile at him. And with that, she left again.


	2. Chapter 2

((I've written a whole bunch of chapters already, so I'm condensing them a little here on fanfiction. So all these updates are really fast because stuff is already written. Just fyi~ ))

. . .

A few days had passed since Ignis talked with Isa. During that span of time, she was dragged all over Radiant Garden by Lea. He seemed to have constant energy as he brought her around to all the different parts of the small world. Although she had walked around and seen quite a bit of it on her own, she humored him. Besides, it was nice to get an in-depth guide from a local, and see all the things the place had to offer. Which wasn't much, but it was peaceful. She needed some peace right now.

Fortunately, Ignis was given a rest when Lea ran off while shouting at her to wait right there. She let out a sigh of relief and slumped forward a little bit as Isa came to stand beside her. "He's like this... every day?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied with a slight sigh.

"Never stops?"

"Constantly annoying."

Ignis couldn't help but giggle a bit at that. "At least there's never a dull day," she remarked. She was glad to have met them now. The boys had managed to take her mind off of what had happened. All she wanted to do was forget and move on.

"You could call it that," Isa responded. "So, what do you think? Better than your last world, or worse?"

"... Don't... Please don't," Ignis quietly said, growing a bit serious and upset at the thought. She didn't want to remember... Didn't even want to think of what it was like back then.

"I'm sorry..." Isa simply apologized.

"... I do like it here," she did admit.

"You'll get tired of it really fast," Isa said, serious yet trying to lift the mood again a little.

"Perhaps. But right now, I'm not in any hurry to get out of here," she said with a small smile.

Lea returned quickly, holding three sea salt ice cream bars. He unceremoniously shoved one into Ignis' hands, declaring, "Eat it, you will REALLY like it!" He gave the second to Isa, then went to devour his, in need of refreshment after all the activity.

"This is good," Ignis said with a smile. She hadn't tried this sort of thing before, and it definitely tasted a bit... different. But it was interesting in that way.

"Told you," Lea said with a confident smirk. "So then, welcome to Radiant Garden, Ignie! It's small, it boring, but it's home."

"Thanks. I hope you two don't mind if I come pester you sometimes," Ignis replied.

"Not at all! What's the expression... Two is company, but three is a party? Something like that!" Lea said. "It's always the same old same old around here, having a new face around is pretty great."

"I'm glad, then," she said with a smile.

"You don't mind, do you Isa?" Lea asked, looking to the other.

"... No, not really," he replied. If anything, he was just a bit worried. He didn't really know if dragging a new person into their messy adventures was a good idea. Not to mention that he remembered how Ignis first looked when she arrived here. The yellow glow to her eyes... Something wasn't exactly right about that. Since then, though, she seemed nice enough.

"Alright. So I guess we better fill her in on our secret plans," Lea said, deviously.

Isa rolled his eyes and groaned as Ignis looked at them confusedly, pausing from eating her ice cream. "Plans? What plans?"

"Yes, Lea. What plans?" Isa asked him mockingly. "We're completely at square one again. There are no plans as of now."

Lea rolled his eyes and huffed. "Breaking into the castle! Those plans, you know? The plan is to break in," he let out.

"Why do you want to do that? Can't you just go in?" Ignis asked.

Isa shook his head. "No. It's guarded. Only certain people can get in," he said.

"Which means there has to be something really cool in there," Lea said with a smirk.

Ignis looked a little confused at that. "I suppose... So how exactly are we going to get in?"

Lea brightened up at her use of the word 'we'. "Well, we'll just have to... um... figure out a way."

Isa facepalmed as Ignis gave a bit of an awkward smile in response.

.x.X.x.

One week later...  
Ignis discreetly peeked into the first floor window of the castle as Lea and Isa kept watch. She ducked back down as a guard passed by. "It's well-guarded," she sighed.

"Wow, thanks for letting us know. We had no idea," Isa sarcastically said, rolling his eyes.

Ignis scrunched up her nose at him and gave him a light kick.

"So we were thinking we should try to enter from a floor higher up. Less guards, since it's near impossible for intruders to enter from up there," Lea said.

"I guess that sounds logical. Other than the fact that it's 'near impossible'," she said, quoting Lea.

"Yeah..." he groaned, hanging his head.

"Well, what about a grappling hook?" Ignis suggested.

"I was thinking of something like that, too," Isa agreed.

"Except they don't sell things like that around here. So we're most likely going to make one," Lea said. "We'll just need some rope and metal bent into a hook... Not exactly something you find lying around."

"I know a man around here who works with metal. It's a bit expensive, though," Isa said.

Lea groaned. "We don't have the munny to do that!"

"What if we do odd jobs or something? There has to be some way we can make enough," Ignis offered.

"Odd jobs works, I guess," Isa sighed, though he wasn't too crazy about working for people he didn't know.

Lea suddenly stood up with an ambitious look on his face. "Street performing!"

The other two looked at him confusedly in return.

"You know, we can put on shows or something. Acrobatics, that sort of thing," Lea explained.

"I can do that," Ignis agreed, looking a bit thrilled at that idea. She was pretty good at acrobatics, though she used it more in combat rather that performing in the past.

"No way," Isa declined, not the type to jump and dance around.

"Fine, then you do odd jobs while we have fun making money," Lea said.

"Sounds fine to me," Isa replied, though Ignis and Lea looked a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be joining in.

"Hey! Get away from here!" a loud and angry voice shouted at them as the window burst open. The three instantly ran away before the guard who had spotted them decided to give chase.

.x.X.x.

Two weeks passed of Ignis and Lea forming ideas and rehearsing, while Isa already started making money from doing odd jobs. Which he didn't feel bad reminding them about almost every day. But all their plans suddenly came to a halt for a while.

"Wow, you're so red..." Ignis observed in wonder.

Isa woke up a bit as he heard the girl's voice. He jumped back as he was met with the sight of her leaning over his bed. A rather nasty bug was going around Radiant Garden, Lea and Isa managing to catch it. Ignis managed to avoid it however, looking as happy and healthy as ever.

"Why are you here?" he asked her, feeling a little self-conscious at the moment. He didn't like people seeing him weakened. He let out a few coughs, his chest aching a little.

"I came to visit, and make sure you weren't dying. You would think that Lea is though, he wouldn't stop whining!" she huffed, rolling her eyes.

"... You went to see him first?" Isa asked. He didn't know why he asked that, or why he tacked on the word 'first'. Did it really matter who she went to see first?

"Yeah. Then I came over here," she said, plopping down on the edge of his bed. "I brought you some fruit. You should eat stuff like that when you're sick." She went to get a fresh apple out of the bag she brought with her. Using a special trick that Isa had taught her, she split the apple in half with her bare hands. She was still pretty proud and amused over that.

"I'm not really hungry..." he quietly responded. His appetite was practically non-existent. At least he had managed to get over the nausea. He wished the headache and cough would stop, though...

"Too bad," Ignis said, thrusting half an apple towards him while before taking a bite out of the other half.

Isa sighed in defeat and took it. He was a bit happy to note that the piece of fruit was cold, though. He took a small bite, grateful for the coolness.

"It's been boring and quiet without you two," she said. When they first met, she occasionally spent time with them. But lately, she had been around them every day. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Isa quietly said, followed by a few coughs.

"Well, that was convincing," Ignis said, rolling her eyes. "Your chest is hurting, right? Here, lay back."

"... What?" Isa let out, pausing from eating his apple. Ignis put aside her piece and pushed him back on the pillows so he was half-lying down. "What are you doing?" he asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"A little trick I learned," she said, rubbing her hands together. A few spurts of flame escaped from between her hands, but they went out quickly.

"Wait, hold on," Isa protested, going to sit back up. But before he could, Ignis lightly pressed her palms to his chest. He felt nice and warm, the pain in his chest dulled down. Isa relaxed, liking the feeling.

"I was learning magic... back then," Ignis said, lightly touching upon her past. "I've been more adept with fire. It's sort of... my element. Personality-wise and such. This isn't healing or anything, it's just very warm hands." She smiled a bit at that.

"... It does feel nice," Isa hesitantly admitted.

"Good. I'm glad. Lea liked it, too. He drifted right off to sleep," Ignis chuckled.

Isa went silent. He eventually remembered his apple, and went to eat a bit of it while the warmth helped with the pain. Ignis took her hands away, happy that she could help.

"You couldn't put me to sleep, it seems. Maybe you should try a lullaby," Isa joked.

"Oh, no. Never. I sing so off-key," Ignis responded, scrunching up her nose a little at the thought of her last attempt at singing. She went to stand up, picking up her bag. "I should probably get going, so you can sleep. I think I've bothered you enough now."

"No, it was..." Isa started to say, but trailed off. He was going to say 'nice'. But he felt so awkward. "Well, laying around is boring."

Ignis smiled a bit at that. "You have a headache too, right? I'll give you the 'Ignie Special'," she offered, going to put her bag back down.

Isa raised an eyebrow as she came to sit at the head of the bed, right beside Isa's pillow. She warmed up her hands again, then adjusting her seating to get well-positioned. Carefully, she used both hands to massage Isa's head. "... Where does it hurt the most?" she quietly asked.

"... Temples," Isa quietly responded. At first, her touch hurt just a little. But now he felt warm and relaxed, almost like he was melting.

Ignis shifted her area of focus, going to carefully rub his temples with her warm fingertips. Isa closed his eyes, the pain completely going away. It felt incredibly... nice.

"Rest up, Isa. Get well soon," Ignis quietly said as he drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Lea and Ignis had a blast with their street performing, once the boys recovered from their minor illnesses. Ignis was capable of doing flips and acrobatics on her own, but with Lea, she could do so much more. He was her spotter and human springboard most of the time, though he also did his fair share of performing.

"You smudged it again," Ignis groaned to Lea.

"Huh?" he let out, looking at his hand. He had just gone to itch his cheek, where there had been a small, upside-down triangle painted on. Ignis had teased that he looked like the clown he truly was inside. But she had also partook in facepainting, decorating the area around her left eye with a sun. It was Isa's recommendation, though when pressed to explain, he just went silent and refused to answer.

Ignis reached forward to fix the marking on Lea's face with her thumb, managing to create the triangle shape again.

"Thanks, mom," Lea said, rolling his eyes.

"Now if only I could get you to eat your vegetables," she teased back. She noticed Isa had come to join them, having practically sneaked up on them. He stood there, staring at them.

"Yo! Isa! How goes the odd jobs?" Lea asked as Ignis finished fixing his facepaint.

"... Fine. Boring," he simply answered, coming up closer.

"I told you I could probably come up with some sort of use for you in our performance," Ignis sighed.

"No. That's just not really my thing," he insisted with a shrug.

"You sure? I could..." Ignis started to say, then explained by grabbing his hand and yanking him forward. She spun around him while holding onto his hand. When she was behind him, she jumped up and planted her knees on his shoulders. She then pushed off forwards and flipped off of him, landing on her feet in front of Isa. She leaned on his, lifting an arm in show. "Ta-da! Like that!"

Isa was a bit red in the face and still as a statue.

"You feeling okay?" Ignis worriedly asked as Lea laughed at him.

"Fine... I'm fine. Just... No, still not my thing," he hesitantly insisted.

Ignis shrugged. "If you say so. ... Even though it would be a lot of fun, you know," she said, looking away a little embarrassed. Even though Isa wasn't as collaborative in the moment as Lea was when they performed, she felt like she had a little more fun with Isa. Her heart fluttered from excitement, and she couldn't figure out why.

"I should get going... I have to go pick up some things," Isa said. "Keep working, we're not even close to our goal yet..."

"Don't remind me!" Lea groaned.

"We'll make it," Ignis tried to reassure them, though they weren't making as much as they hoped. They still had quite a ways to go.

.x.X.x.

The little girl clapped her hands excitedly as Lea did a cartwheel, planted his foot into Ignis's hand, then was boosted into the air to flip another time. Ignis spun and did a small aerial.

The little girl's grandmother smiled as she dug a coin out of her pocket to give to them. "Let's go, Kairi, it's time for dinner," the grandmother said when she was done.

Ignis and Lea smiled as the girl skipped away with her grandmother calmly trailed behind. "It's not much... But I'm glad we made her smile," she said to Lea.

Lea nodded. "I'm feeling pretty hungry. Maybe we should meet up with Isa and grab something to eat," he suggested. The sun was setting, marking the usual time Isa arrived and they quit for the day. The beautiful full moon was rising, the stars appearing in the dark sky as the sun was almost gone.

"Sure. When Isa gets here, we'll stop. But for now, there are still people around," she said.

Lea shrugged in response. "Fair enough." They continued to perform, some people stopping by to watch. Eventually, Isa came up to meet them, done with his tasks for the day.

"Finally! Let's eat!" Lea declared, throwing his hands in the air happily.

"Hey, it's those clowns," a boisterous voice called out. The three turned to see a man with a scar on his face and slicked-back, black hair laughing at them. "Been passing by sometimes on my business, noticed your little kiddy act."

"Kiddy act?" Ignis let out, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Good luck trying to get noticed and famous, or whatever you little dreams are," he teased them.

"That's not what we're trying to do," Lea shot back. "We're just having fun." He tactfully left out the part about earning money to break into the castle.

"Okay, sure sure," the man obnoxiously said, raising an eyebrow. "How about some pointers? From someone who has traveled around?"

"Sure..." Ignis sighed, figuring the less they argued, the sooner the man would go away.

"Okay, music. Duh. Makes everything more interesting," he said. "But you want to make it ten times more interesting? Drop that clueless-looking moron there." He motioned to Lea.

Now the three definitely weren't happy. Isa looked borderline furious. "No, he's-" Ignis started to say.

"And you?" he continued, looking to Ignis. "Costume change. Get rid of the capris, go for something... mini. The less, the better."

Isa snapped. "Look, I suggest you leave. NOW," he spat, his usual calm, cool demeanor gone.

"Or what?" the man challenged.

Isa let out a growl, stepping forward with a dark look on his face. He looked ready to lash out at any second.

"Stop," Ignis calmly said, gently touching his arm. "It's not worth it." She could tell that this man wasn't ordinary. He was dangerous. If she hadn't promised to forget and leave behind her past, she probably could have used her special abilities and training to take him down. But that was behind her now. All she wanted was peace.

Isa let out a shaky sigh, relaxing as he looked to her a bit pleadingly. Ignis just smiled a little to reassure him.

"Work on my notes, and you'll be great! Maybe. But most likely not," the man said, walking away and leaving them alone.

"Jeez, what a jerkwad," Lea huffed, glad that the man was gone. "But jeez, Isa. I thought you would lose it there. ... You usually do."

"Yeah..." Isa simply responded, looking to Lea. He then glanced back to Ignis. "Probably would have gotten us in more trouble, though."

"It's okay. Thank you... For defending us," Ignis thanked Isa with a warm smile.

"Of course... Ignie," he replied.

.x.X.x.

Isa and Ignis walked through Radiant Garden together, hanging out while they waited for Lea to meet up with them. Isa wasn't particularly the talkative type, but he wasn't usually this quiet. Ignis didn't mind terribly, though. When she first arrived here, she was forlorn and suspicious of everything. But after befriending the boys months ago, she regained her sunny disposition. She felt like herself again.

"I could go for some sea salt ice cream right now," Ignis sighed.

"We're saving all our munny right now, though. And we're close," Isa reminded her.

"I know..." she replied. "Okay, well how about we do a quick job and earn some munny just for sea salt ice cream?You and me!"

"... You and me?" Isa let out, avoiding her gaze.

"Yeah. Lea's not here and all..." Ignis responded. "You have to know somewhere that needs help."

"... Sure," Isa replied. "I made deliveries for the bakery sometimes. Maybe they need help."

With Ignis's happy agreement, they headed off in that direction. She was relatively excited, having not actually been to this bakery before. Fortunately, they were in need of help at that moment. Ignis and Isa ran several orders back and forth, one rather large one belonging to a birthday party.

"Honestly, I'd rather stick to the street performing. I can see how that would get boring after a while," Ignis chuckled as they headed back to the bakery.

"You're really good at the performing," Isa simply complimented her.

"Oh, thanks," Ignis let out, blushing a little with a proud smile.

They stepped into the bakery again, so that the owner could pay them. "You've been a great help today," she praised them. "So I also have something special to pay you both with." She stepped away for a second to retrieve a ring-shaped pastry with a plastic, red star stuck in the hole in the center of the pastry.

"What is it?" Ignis asked.

"Oh, you haven't hear about it? It seems to be the craze right now among the young ones," she chuckled. "You each pinch the opposite sides of the pastry, then pull it apart at the same time. Whoever has the half with the star still stuck in it gets one wish from the person who didn't get the star. The kids dare each other to do things, the couples decide who treats on the next date... That sort of thing."

Isa looked a little awkward at the sound of that, knowing that this little game wasn't as innocent as it seemed. Ignis, however, had fallen for it right away, easily excited over almost anything at times. "Let's do this, it sounds like fun! Ick, but I never win anything... The wish can be anything? Wow..." she let out in response. "... Alright. Let's do this."

Ignis went to pinch the side of the pastry and looked to Isa with a daring smile. Isa sighed and rolled his eyes. He gave in and pinched the other side. On the count of three, they both pulled.

"Oh no, yet another loss!" Ignis groaned, looking at her star-less half. Isa stared down at his half, where the small, red star was still stuck. He hesitantly went to pull it out as Ignis went to wolf down her pastry half. "At least I got something that tasted good!" she huffed with a pout.

They left the bakery together, walking side-by-side. "Okay... so what are you going to make me do?" Ignis sighed, expecting Isa to give her some sort of ridiculous dare.

"... I can't think of anything at the moment. I'll hang onto this until I think of something," Isa said, then pocketed the small star.

"WHAT?! No way! Now I'm super nervous!" Ignis declared at Isa cracked a small smile at her outburst. She kept herself from saying so out loud, but she hated being at the mercy of others. Not since...

They were suddenly interrupted by Lea, who came running up to them incredibly fast. "I've been looking for you guys! Where were you?!" he hurriedly asked.

"Sorry, we just did a small job, and-" Ignis started to explain, but was cut off be Lea.

"Someone stole all our munny!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Stolen? What do you mean?" Ignis asked, looking upset.

"Stolen, as in gone from the hiding place," Lea sighed. "All of it, just... gone."

"Any clue on who did this?" Isa asked Lea.

"I looked everywhere around the area. Nothing..." Lea sighed.

They all went silent, letting this development sink in.

"W-well, we can just save it up again. We did it once, we can do it again," Ignis tried to reassure them.

Isa just turned and walked away.

"Isa," Ignis called after him.

"Let him go cool off," Lea sighed. "This is my fault... I should have found a better hiding place..."

Ignis looked to Lea, and then back to Isa. She didn't know who to stay with and reassure. Maybe Isa did need space... She went to try to cheer Lea up, who was visibly distressed, though she wanted to run after Isa...

.x.X.x.

"How unfortunate..." a voice said from an alleyway. Isa stopped in his tracks, looking towards the source of the voice. "I've seen you three working so hard over the past few months... Only for this tragedy to befall you..."

There was a hood figure standing in the alleyway. Isa couldn't make out the person's face, though it sounded like a woman. She was tall, in a long, flowing cloak.

"What's it to you?" Isa defensively asked.

"You've just gained my admiration. I do appreciate the... persistence of you and your friends. That's why I've decided to present you with a golden opportunity. A way into the castle... for just a small favor," the cloaked woman offered.

"... What kind of favor?" Isa asked.

"I need something inside the castle. There's a room full of screens. In there is a small box. It can fit in the palm of your hand, and has green and gold patterns on it," she described.

"No. We want to get into the castle, yes. But not to steal anything. It's not worth the risk," Isa declined, going to walk away. They weren't thieves.

"Even if it means putting a smile on Ignis' face?" the woman asked. Isa paused, his attention was regained a little. "You like that, don't you? When she smiles... when she laughs... and when she dances. I can tell. She's so different from you... Quiet and cold Isa. Cheerful and sunny Ignie. You like being with her. I'm presenting you with something that will make her happy and impressed with you. ... I think that's well worth the trouble of pocketing a small box that no one in the castle will miss."

Isa thought about it, then turned to face the cloaked woman, a serious look on his face.

.x.X.x.

"This is cool. This is so cool," Ignis whispered as the three snuck around. They were in the castle. They wee actually in the castle! Isa's key had unlocked a secret passage under Radiant Garden leading to the castle. According to him, it was a reward for a job. He heard a rumor about the passage, put two and two together, and they were in.

"Where should we go first?" Lea quietly asked, looking down a hallway. They had managed to make it up to higher levels, where there were less guards.

"I don't care, I'm just glad that we finally made it in," Ignis excitedly said. She was silenced by the boys putting fingers to their lips. She smiled awkwardly in apology.

"... We should split up and take a look around. Cover a lot of space that way," Isa quietly said.

"Split up? Are you sure we should do that?" Lea asked.

"... Yeah. We can meet up back here again in a little bit," Isa said.

"I guess we could do that..." Ignis agreed, though she wasn't too crazy about the idea. "Okay, whoever finds the coolest thing wins."

"Coolest what?" Lea asked.

"I don't know... Room, statue, thing... Just something cool," Ignis huffed.

The three nodded, and went separate way for now.

Isa had something to retrieve. And he didn't want questions.

.x.X.x.

Isa was quieter than usual, as he ate sea-salt ice cream with his friends. It was a successful day of exploring the castle. No one was caught, and they each found some pretty interesting things. They didn't take the things, as they tended to be too big to carry out. Ignis found a whole training and exercise room. Lea found a sealed-off hearth with a label reading 'Wild Fire'. Isa claimed that he had found nothing worth mentioning.

"So, when should we schedule our next exploration?" Ignis asked with a smile.

"Soon! Definitely very soon!" Lea happily declared.

"We should... find a way to leave this world. Soon," Isa quietly said.

"Huh? So soon? But we just got access to the castle! Besides, we need to get stuff ready, we can't just rush out of here to another world," Lea said.

"Whoa now, whoa now... Where is the real Lea, who blindly rushes into things all the time?" Ignis teased. She received a light, playful shove in response from Lea. As they laughed, Isa remained silent. Without finishing his ice cream, he got up and went to throw it out.

"Something wrong?" Lea asked him.

"... I'll see you both later," Isa replied, going to walk away as his friends looked on confusedly.

"Maybe you should walk him home," Lea suggested with a coy smile to Ignis.

"Huh? Why? He knows where he lives," Ignis responded with a raised eyebrow.

Lea sighed, hanging his head. "Nevermind... clueless..." he muttered the last bit.

.x.X.x.

"Here it is. What you asked for," Isa said, reluctantly handing the box over to the cloaked woman. He had headed to where he first met her, though she had eerily found him first.

"Thank you. So prompt and obedient... Those qualities could get you quite far, especially under the right guidance..." she said in a tempting voice.

"What is that thing for? You're not going to hurt anyone, will you?" Isa asked, thinking of a specific someone.

The mysterious woman chuckled in return. "My dear boy... Informing you of that wasn't part of the bargain," she said. With a cackle, she raised her arms above her head and disappeared in a burst of green fire! When the brightness died down, Isa looked to where she had been standing. The flames disappeared, vanishing along with the woman.

He felt a sinking in his heart. Isa knew he would come to regret this...

.x.X.x.

Another month and a half passed without conflict. The trio sneaked into the castle every week, exploring and seeing whatever there was to see. Lea was always entranced by the Wild Fire, and often split off to go mess around with it. Isa and Ignis had split up, but eventually began sticking together. In the main dining halls, they quietly climbed along the rafters in the ceiling, having found a secret passage leading there. There was no one else in the room.

But instead of continuing on to the next door cross the beam they walked across, Ignis turned around and sat down in front of Isa. He looked confused as she did so, but followed suit when she motioned for him to do the same.

"Okay, so what's going on with you lately?" Ignis bluntly asked.

"... Nothing. Why?" he responded.

"You've been really distant. And you look like you haven't slept in quite a while," she pointed out.

It was true, when he reflected on it. He couldn't help but worry about what he had done. Sure, they had gotten inside the castle, and got to see many neat things that couldn't be found in town. But at what cost? That little box had to mean something. What did he hand over to that woman? Though he would never admit it out loud, he felt a bit... afraid.

"I'm fine..." he evasively answered.

"No, you're not," Ignis persisted. "Something's on your mind. I want to know what."

"Ignie..."

"No, don't 'Ignie' me, I want you to talk to me. I know you're not very open, or incredibly vocal... But I dunno. I just thought we were... close. Good friends or something, you know? You can trust me," Ignis sighed.

"No, that's not it," Isa quickly responded. "It's just... I'm questioning myself. A lot."

Ignis looked concerned at that. "Questioning? About what?"

"... My choices... I'm thinking maybe I'm a bit... rash," he said, without admitting what exactly he did.

Ignis chucked. "You're Isa. It's what you do," she teased.

Isa cracked a slight smile at that, though it faded a bit. "But... if I did something really bad... something really reckless..."

"You'd still be my Isa," Ignis said with a warm smile. "And I'll be there to calm you down. Again. And again. And again and again and again..."

"Okay, I get it," Isa said, blushing now and looking away. He slowly reached a hand in his pocket, feeling a familiar plastic shape in it. "Hey... Ignie..."

He was suddenly cut off as she lunged forward and pushed him down, covering his mouth with her hand. He lay there, taken aback and blushing as she lay partially on top of him. He snapped back to reality as he heard voices down below them.

Guards.

"-in the Wild Fire room," one of them continued to say.

"Probably just a pest or something," the other guard shrugged off.

"Yeah. A pest. A really big one," the first one said. "Let's go."

As soon as they left, Ignis got off of Isa. "Lea... They're headed towards him. Looks like our excursion has been cut short," she sighed, shaking her head.

Isa mentally cursed Lea, wanting to push him into the Wild Fire now.

"Let's go get him and get out of here," she said, helping Isa up and heading towards the secret door.

Isa nodded in return. His wish would have to wait.


	5. Chapter 5

Isa waited by the main fountains of Radiant Garden, where he first met Ignis. It was a bright, sunny day, and he was feeling optimistic. This was one of the typical meeting places of the three friends, but today it would be a meeting place for two. Another castle exploration was planned, but Lea was already waiting at the entry point. Unbeknownst to Ignis.

Isa nervously fiddled with the object in his pocket. The star. His unused wish from the game that he and Ignis had played. He had decided it was time to use it, though the thought made his heart race. He sat down on the edge of the garden planting area, running over the words in his head. A sort of prepared speech.

"Hello!" a familiar voice happily said from beside him. Ignis was sitting there, having jumped down from the ledge behind him and taken a seat in almost in the blink of an eye.

Isa jumped up in surprise, standing again.

"So jumpy, what's wrong?" she laughed, also standing up.

"Well..." he let out, having forgotten everything he was going to say.

She tilted her head to the side with a smile.

"I wanted to talk with you... about something," Isa started to say.

Ignis' smile faltered a little. She looked around. "Where's Lea?"

"He's fine, nothing's wrong with him," Isa reassured her. Though as her facial expression remained unchanged, he realized that maybe she wasn't thinking that something happened to Lea. She looked... nervous. "I... wanted to tell you something..."

Ignis looked to Isa worriedly.

He continued on, regaining his cool composure. "I really like you, Ignie. More than a friend. You're always happy and cheerful. You make me calm when... I lose it. So..." He went to pull the star out of his pocket, offering it to her. "My wish is for you to go out with me. At least try it once."

Ignis' eyes started watering. "Isa... You don't know anything about me... About who I was before I came here... What happened... W-what I did..."

"You can tell me," Isa said, stepping closer. "I want to know more about you. I don't care how crazy it is, or bad. I know you're really great now."

"No... no, I can't..." Ignis let out, stepping back a little.

"Then you don't have to tell me, I'm fine with how you are," Isa insisted.

"You don't understand... I can't do this... I feel... and you... but..." she stuttered, unable to form a full sentence as her face went red.

"You like me, too, don't you? Why can't you give me a chance?" Isa asked, stepped forward.

Ignis quickly slapped the star out of his hand in haste. "S-stupid Isa! I can't do this, no matter what my feelings are! I'm not a good person! You don't know me! You don't know what I've been through, what I've done! I finally had something new and good, and you just ruined it! You... you jerk!" she cried, tears running down her face. She turned around and ran away before he could say anything else.

Isa stood there in shock as he watched her run away. This went the exact opposite of how he had imagined. He thought that she felt the same way. What she had said... sounded like she did like him. But why?

Isa looked down at the star on the ground, starting to feel frustrated and bitter. He scowled at the cheap piece of plastic, and stormed away towards the castle. Break off the half with the star and get whatever wish you want? What a lie.

.x.X.x.

Ignis sat alone in the garden, where she first arrived in this world. Her tears were starting to subside as she sniffled a bit. She wiped away the last of them with a sigh.

"Stupid... I'm so stupid... Overreaction, much?" she huffed. "'I like you, too Isa. But I'm a little emotionally unstable. Let me sort out some feelings first, and we'll see what happens.' Yeah. That would have been great." Ignis lightly slapped herself on the side of her head, wishing that she had thought of saying that before. Why did she react so badly? Why did she feel so cornered, when it was just her friend? Her friend... wanting something more. That was okay with her. But was it okay with her past? Should she forget everything that happened? Or talk about it for once and come to terms with it. "I could use your all-knowing guidance, Master Eraqus," she sighed, rolling her eyes despite the pain in her chest from revisiting those memories.

Though, she was distracted from her regrets by movement out of the corner of her eye. Something moved against the wall. Ignis stood up, going to look closer. Whatever it was, it was gone. But something just didn't feel right. She headed towards where she had seen it. Suddenly something rustled in the bushes behind her.

Ignis jumped, turning to look. Her eyes widened as she saw the dark form behind her.

A shadow.

"I've seen you before..." she let out, stepping away. The shadow seemed to pay no mind to her, flitting away quickly.

Ignis gave chase without second thought, thoroughly worried. "I thought this world was safe..." she muttered as she looked around. She ran into a tunnel, leading into the main town. But everything was different. The sky was growing dark, and the air was still. The shadows cast on the ground were crawling and expanding. Ignis jumped aside as a dark hand grabbed at her.

In a sudden, natural moment, she held out her hand. A lightweight Keyblade was summoned to her hand as she side stepped and dodged the hand. She lunged forward, stabbing and slashing at the shadow until it was destroyed. Realizing what just happened, she looked down at the Keyblade. "You're... still with me?" she let out, surprised and forlorn. Ignis gripped the handle tighter, and continued her path.

She ran through the Fountain Court, dodging the shadows coming from the dark water of the fountains. She had one thing on her mind. Her friends. She eventually reached the Main Square, where she had first met Isa, where she had last seen Isa. He wasn't around here. She paused as she heard something clatter across the ground as she stepped. Ignis looked down, her heart sinking as she saw the red, plastic star on the ground.

"Isa..." she let out, going to pick up the star. As she grasped it, the ground shook beneath her feet. Ignis stumbled, regaining her footing. She looked in horror as pieces of the town broke away and sunk into darkness. The world was breaking apart. She quickly shoved the star into her pocket and ran away. She headed towards the castle, hoping that Lea and Isa had headed there. Maybe the castle would be prepared for this, somehow.

Ignis felt the darkness tug at her. At the darkness inside her. She felt heavier and more weary as she got closer to the castle. The ground was breaking apart behind her, close at her heels.

As the ground gave another shake, Ignis tripped. She fell to the ground, and found herself unable to get to her feet. The atmosphere was heavy, the darkness pulling her down.

"Isa... no... Please, no..." Ignis let out as she started to feel cold. "No, no... not again, please no, no... Isa! ISA!"

In a split second, she was swallowed into the void.

.x.X.x.

Nine years later...

"To your left!"

"On it! Heartless ahead of you, Freya!"

Freya vaulted over the Heartless with her spear then struck them from behind as Ignis ran along the rooftops. She pivoted left to slide down a slanted roof. She reached the ground level and joined Freya as she approached.

"It's headed for the First District," Ignis hurriedly said, her keyblade ready for action.

"It won't make it there," Freya determinedly said as they ran from Third District into the Second District.

Ignis grinned at her partner's confidence. They rounded a corner and spotted the large Heartless making its way across the District. Without hesitation, they ran at it with weapons at the ready. A few smaller Heartless tried to get in their way, but Ignis fought them off as Freya made a rush forward. She jumped up high and plunged her spear into the back of the huge, armored Heartless. It stopped in its tracks, noticing its two pursuers now.

It took a swing at Freya, but she jumped away before it could hit her. As the Heartless was bent over in swinging, Ignis ran up its other arm and over its head. She retrieved Freya's spear from its back, dodged its arm, and jumped down.

"Thank you," Freya said as her spear was returned to her. "Attack plan Sweeper?"

"Sweeper!" Ignis happily declared. Freya ran forward and slipped between the feet of the Heartless, spinning her spear and slashing at it around her. The feet were disabled, the Heartless falling backwards. Ignis quickly got under it and raised her Keyblade as its head fell onto her. The Keyblade pierced the Heartless's head, destroying it.

Without its head, it was a bit more disoriented. With great ease, Freya and Ignis defeated the Heartless. They stood out in the open of the Second District. "Another Heartless stopped in its tracks!" Ignis declared.

Freya gave a nod of consent. "Will they ever stop coming..."

Ignis sighed, mellowing out. "I wish they would. I mean, I like the excitement and practice... But I love Traverse Town. I don't like it being in constant danger."

"It needs to be stopped at the source... Which obviously isn't here," Freya said.

Ignis nodded. Ignis hoped that when she had awakened here in this world, it was for a purpose. After meeting Freya and starting their two-person Heartless defense force, they examined every part of the city they could. But there was nothing of importance.

She had also given herself the secret mission of finding the world's keyhole. She had managed to fit together the clues and pieces, yet... nothing happened. Deep down, Ignis knew something was wrong. Though, not with the keyhole, but herself. She was amazed she still had her Keyblade, after all that had happened to her. Though at the same time, it felt like her link to it was barely existent. It was almost as if she was barely connected, and in danger of losing it.

_The Darkness... Inside of me..._

"Ignis, we should return to headquarters. It's getting late," Freya said, breaking Ignis out of her thoughts.

"O-oh, right," she agreed, going to follow her friend.

.x.X.x.

Ignis had agreed to take the first watch. She sat on the roof of their 'headquarters', which was actually just a tiny house in the Third District. As Freya slept, Ignis kept an eye out for any Heartless attacks. Although, she let her gaze wander to the starry sky.

"I have to get out of here..." she sighed. She had lost count of how times she had said that. Close to nine years spent in this place, and she couldn't find a way out. She thought of her life before Radiant Garden. "If only I had the Keyblade Armor..."

_11 years ago..._

"Can I go, too, Master Eraqus?" Ignis asked.

"Not yet. You haven't earned your Mark of Mastery yet. Only then will you be ready to summon your Keyblade Armor and travel among the different worlds," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I know I'm still in training... But shouldn't Keyblade Armor be part of that training?" she sighed.

"Ignis, the capability and responsibility to travel to another world isn't as simple as you may think. You haven't even covered how to conduct yourself in another world without meddling too much in its affairs," he lightly scolded her. Noticing her disappointment, he tried to reassure her. "Your Mark of Mastery exam will be here before you know it. And I have full faith in you and your abilities."

Ignis sighed but smiled in return. "Thanks... I'll get back to practice."

"Good. And be sure to set up the basic targets for Terra and Aqua while I'm gone."

"Of course, Master Eraqus!"

Ignis clenched her fist, feeling her anger build up at her former Master's mixed up priorities. If she knew how to use Keyblade armor, then she could have have...

"My turn," Freya suddenly said, coming up from behind Ignis. She jumped in surprise, almost falling off the edge of the roof.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" she huffed, feeling the anger subside in her.

Freya stared at Ignis. She was perceptive. Almost too perceptive. "How are you feeling?" She knew a bit about the darkness inside her partner, though she didn't know the full story. Freya was always careful with her wording, not wanting to upset Ignis. For that, Ignis was grateful.

"Just... remembering. Regretting. That sort of thing," Ignis said, trying to shrug it off.

"Don't fall victim to your regrets. They only drag you further down," Freya quietly said.

Ignis nodded. "... I miss my friends," she quietly said, thinking of one of her biggest regrets. Isa...

"As do I," Freya quietly said, thinking back to her friends in her destroyed home world.

They both had their regrets, memories, and altered paths. Though, their paths differed. Freya was determined to protect her new home. Ignis only thought of leaving.

Suddenly, they were distracted by something bright dropping right from the sky! Whatever it was crashed into the fountain on the lower level of the Third District. Ignis and Freya jumped down towards it, Ignis summoning her Keyblade and Freya pulling her spear from its harness on her back.

They reached the lower level, anticipating another Heartless attack. They readied their weapons, spreading apart from each other to divide and conquer. But nothing happened. Ignis carefully approached the fountain, on her guard. Though, she dropped her guard as soon as she saw what the source of this commotion.

"Freya! It's a guy! Help me out!"

. . .

(( In case you're wondering, Ignis' keyblade is light and one-handed. She fights with it with a fencing sort of style, so that she's quick on her feet and harder to hit. She's a bit stronger than average, so that she doesn't get overpowered by two-handed weaponry and stuff. But yeah, that's her style. Pictures on my DA account! ))


	6. Chapter 6

Both young women stood at the edge of their base's bed as its current occupant woke up. Ignis and Freya peered down at the black-haired guy lying there as he slowly opened his eyes and looked to them.

"You drowned in a shallow fountain! That takes some serious talent," Ignis bluntly declared with an amused grin.

"... Drowned?" he let out confusedly, slowly sitting up.

"I kissed you," Ignis laughed teasingly as he went a bit red in the face.

"Resuscitated. There's a difference," Freya sighed, shaking her head.

Ignis shrugged, still amused that she saved someone from a water fountain. "You hit your head a bit hard, but you should be fine."

"Oh, thanks," he said, looking a little self conscious. "I owe you one, big time then." He went to rub his spikey hair, wincing as he felt the lump from the fall.

"You're from another world, aren't you?" Ignis asked, growing a little serious now.

"... Where exactly am I?" he asked, looking around.

"Traverse Town. The place to be when you have nowhere to go, apparently," Ignis answered.

"So I did leave the arena..." he let out, thinking to himself. "A bit far from it, though..."

"You're talking to yourself," Freya informed him, in case he wasn't aware of that.

"Sorry, just trying to reason this out. I don't remember anywhere named Traverse Town in the Olympus Colosseum. So... I guess I'm in another world now?" he reasoned out.

"Olympus Colosseum? You're from that world? I've heard of that world before," Ignis said, glad to hear about something familiar, even if it reminded her of the time before Radiant Garden.

"Yeah. I was training there to be a hero. Fighting in tournaments, training, stuff like that," he said. Freya listened on, interested yet a bit lost as to what he was talking about. Ignis talked to her about other words, and Freya understood that she was no longer in her world, but it was still an odd concept to her.

"I heard about tournaments from my old Master before. It was definitely somewhere I wanted to go," Ignis said.

"You should go. I went to be trained by Phil. He sort of picked someone else to train to be a hero like me, but there's other things he has set up for everyone," he encouraged.

"I suppose..." Ignis said, though she didn't know how she would.

"I'm Zack, by the way," he said, offering to shake hands with his 'saviors'.

"Ignis," she introduced herself, shaking his hand.

"Freya," her companion said, repeating the gesture.

"It's nice to meet you lovely ladies," he said with a bit of a grin.

The flirtatious glance flew right over Ignis' head as she asked, "By the way, Zack... How exactly did you get here?" The last thing she wanted to hear was that another world was destroyed.

"I won this in a tournament," Zack said, rummaging through his pockets. He stopped in confusion, unable to find what he was looking for. "Huh... It's gone..."

"What's gone?" Ignis asked.

"My thing. The thing I won. It was sort of like... a star shape. I wanted to leave the world, and suddenly, ZING! Zapped out of there and I wake up here," Zack tried to explain, though he was having a hard time doing so.

"Wait... do you mean a Star Shard? You have one of those?" Ignis asked, looking completely shocked.

"Yeah. It was my prize for winning. Good riddance, though. I'm not using that thing again, there was definitely something wrong with it," Zack huffed. He obviously did not enjoy the experience of traveling via Star Shard.

"You don't want it? Really? If you really don't want it, can I please have it?" Ignis hurriedly asked, looking anxious and happy at the opportunity presented to her.

"Sure, I guess... I don't have any clue where it is, though. I must have dropped it," Zack said apologetically.

"I'll find it!" Ignis declared, now determined. Without another word to Zack, she rushed out of their base in the Third District in search of the dropped Star Shard.

Freya silently watched her go, left behind with Zack. She felt her pocket discreetly, feeling the distinct shape of a star.

.x.X.x.

Ignis had searched everywhere, starting from the fountain. But she couldn't find it. No matter where she looked and who she asked, there were no clues as to where the Star Shard was. She spent the rest of that night and all next day combing Traverse Town, but with no luck.

Feeling a bit frustrated, Ignis headed back to Third District, clenching her hands into fists. _I thought... I could come find you, Isa. But I'm stuck here, useless._She felt the darkness swelling up inside her, but she didn't care enough to settle it down. So many years of just sticking around and playing defense force with Freya. True, she had gotten stronger with the experience. But what would it amount to? Nothing. She couldn't help anyone.

Ignis felt a little more calm, though, as she returned to the Third District. She had spotted Freya and Zack sitting at the edge of the fountain, talking to each other. He was at least glad that Zack had recovered so quickly. He seemed fine with staying here. He might make a good addition to their small team. Ignis gazed down at them from where she was, not disturbing the two.

Though, in the sunlight, she could have sworn she saw something odd. Something was sparkling a little bit in Freya's pocket. Freya never carried much on her, and wasn't one for trinkets or anything. Ignis had a sinking feeling in her chest. She headed down as Zack pardoned himself from Freya.

"Hey, going to grab some lunch! Sort of a celebration for making your duo a trio," Zack said as he passed Ignis.

"... Trio?" Ignis let out, confused. "You're... joining us?"

"Well... Freya said you needed help. Seems like hero work I could get into. She said you both needed help, so..." he explained a bit awkwardly, a little confused by her less-than-excited reaction.

"Oh... Yeah. That makes sense. Thanks... for joining us," Ignis halfheartedly said.

"No problem. I'll be right back," Zack said, leaving them temporarily.

Ignis turned to look at Freya, who was looking straight at her. She approached her companion with a sigh. "Freya... Are you... keeping something from me?" she hesitantly asked.

"... Why do you want to leave? You have a life here. A job, a responsibility... and friends. Yet you seem so eager to toss that away. It's un-chivalrous," she pointed out.

"Freya, I'm not tossing it away. Just because I need to go somewhere doesn't mean that I'm ending our friendship..." Ignis said.

"You... _need_ to go somewhere?" Freya asked. "Or you want to?"

Ignis narrowed her eyes a little at Freya. "Yes, need. I ran away from the memories of a past life and found a better place. And I can't just let that go," she responded. _I can't just let Lea and Isa go..._

"The world you were in was destroyed. You should move on, and continue what you started here," Freya urged her. "We've truly helped keep the peace."

"You have Zack now, you can do it without me," Ignis said.

"Three is better than two. Ignis, listen to yourself. You're throwing away something noble to pursue someone who might be gone forever," she reasoned.

"No! Don't say that! I don't know for sure!" Ignis said, feeling the darkness swelling up again as Freya said things she didn't want to hear.

"You're want to take a foolish and dangerous risk," Freya pointed out.

"Stop it Freya," Ignis demanded, feeling cold all over her body as her eyes slightly glowed yellow. "You're just jealous because your world was destroyed and your friends lost their hearts, while I might still have a chance at happiness!"

Freya froze, looking shocked and a little bit hurt at what Ignis had said. She looked away, and got up. She walked past Ignis, pulling the Star Shard out of her own pocket and shoving it into Ignis' hands.

With it in her hands, Ignis seemed to just realize what she said. Before she could apologize profusely to Freya, she was cut off.

"Go... find your happiness, then. Don't take it for granted or let go of it when you find it, though," Freya quietly said. She left Ignis behind without looking behind.

Ignis looked down at the Star Shard, noticing a crack running through it.

_Risks... I am taking a risk. Maybe I am being selfish. And foolish. But I can't just sit here and wait anymore. My fate is out there... Isa must be out there... And I must meet them._

Ignis pulled the little red plastic star from her pocket, clutching it and the cracked Star Shard to her chest.

. . .

(( This chapter was hard to write because of the fight between Freya and Ignis. They are very different people with different values, and those differences just caught up with them. It doesn't make either of them a bad person, though, so I hope I got that across. They're still friends, after being together for so long, and Ignis knows it was wrong of her to snap like that, even though she couldn't control it. ))


	7. Chapter 7

With some hasty preparation, Ignis was ready to go. She had managed to buy some different potions and provisions for the trip. She had no idea what she was up against, and what was waiting for her out there. She had been well trained for different circumstances, and the past eight or so years had given her time to get stronger. She tried to reassure herself that she would ready. But there was really no way of knowing. Not to mention that the Star Shard was cracked. What would she do if it broke?

Ignis pushed the thoughts from her mind. She couldn't just settle for this stable life, day after day of fighting Heartless with no end. It was time for a risk.

She finished her preparations. Ignis had enough munny to buy a parting gift for Freya and Zack. She bought a new spear for Freya, and a helpful bangle for Zack, even though she hadn't known him for long. She left the gifts in their base, then stepped out into the Third District. _Freya... please forgive me..._

Ignis got into an open area, going through her mental checklist. Satisfied that she was ready, Ignis prepared the Star Shard. She only vaguely knew how to use it. _Take me to someone who can help me. Someone who will know where I have to start,_ she thought hard, raising the Star Shard.

It gave a few sparks, then glowed brightly in the evening light. Ignis kept a tight hold on the Star Shard as it yanked her up into the sky, towards another world.

.x.X.x.

Ignis woke up on something large and green. It seemed to bob up and down as a breeze gently swept over her. She opened her eyes, looking around in confusion as she tried to gain her bearings. It was a forest... Yet instead of ground below her, it was swampy water. Ignis realized she was on a leaf. A giant leaf? How could a leaf support her weight?

That's when she realized that she wasn't exactly human at the moment. Her arms looked almost... bug-like. She looked herself over and felt around. She had thin wings... and, well... "My butt is huge," she huffed, noticing a glowing bulb for a butt. "Oh... I'm a firefly!"

Ignis giggled and willed her wings to move. With little to no effort, Ignis was airborne! She hovered a little and swerved around as she tried to move in direction she wanted, but flying was harder than she thought. She finally managed to get a general handle on the whole flight thing. Ignis headed down towards the water to see what she looked like, feeling very curious.

As she got close, something long and pink suddenly shot out at her from the side! Taken by surprise, she froze. But suddenly, something else grabbed her and pulled her out of harm's way! Seeing another glowing bulb, she instantly followed after her rescuer as they led her away.

"Woo, darling, you almost got caught up in a tussle with a toad's belly," the other firefly laughed when they were finally out of harm's way.

"A toad? That's what that was?" Ignis let out, still on edge from the whole ordeal.

"Best not to be headin' down towards that water. All sorts of critters hungry for fresh firefly, right?" he said.

"... Right..." she sighed, calming down.

"Now, I'm knowin' you from somewhere. You look like my cousin's nephew's grandpa's sister's second cousin Dale's little girl," he said.

"No... I'm sort of new to this area. My name is Ignis," she introduced herself.

"Ignis? Well, Iggie, welcome to these parts, girl! My name's Ray," the firefly introduced himself, giving her a firm clap on the shoulder. "What brings you 'round here?"

Ignis let the nickname 'Iggie' go, though it wasn't her favorite nickname. "Well... I'm looking for someone to help me... I'm a little lost. I'm looking for someone, but I don't where to start. I came here because... I heard that there was someone who could help me," she explained, trying not to give away that she was from a different world. She had a feeling that saying 'I wished on a broken star, so it crash-landed me here' would go over so well.

Ray thought for a moment, scratching his head, before punching the air in remembrance. "I got it! You want-"

He was cut off by Ignis pushing him out of the way as a dark shape lunged at them! She summoned her keyblade as she realized that were being attacked by a swarm of Heartless. Three of them looked like mosquitoes, and they were lead by a big beetle. If Ignis was her normal size, squashing them would be no problem. But she was a firefly now.

"I've got this," she hurriedly said, flying at a mosquito Heartless and slashing at it with her keyblade. With a few hits, it was defeated. She dodged the beetle as it threw itself as her, and was thrown off by a remaining mosquito Heartless.

"Nu uh, darlin', you won't be puttin' yourself in harm's way for me," Ray declared with a determined look. Expertly maneuvering through the air and using the light of his bulb, he easily took out the two mosquito Heartless.

Ignis dodged the beetle, and slashed at the vulnerable part under its shell. Ray joined in, startling the beetle into not moving. As it was dazed by the bright light, Ignis delivered a final blow to the Heartless. It burst apart, leaving Ray and Ignis alone and victorious.

"Wow, Ray, that was amazing," Ignis praised him. "You really know how to use your bulb!"

"Aw heck, you get used to it with practice. I had enough of that Shadow Man's creepy crawlies nosing around my home," he responded proudly.

"Shadow Man?" Ignis asked.

"No one you want to get in a tussle with. He's too big and crafty, that guy..." Ray explained. "Anyways, I was sayin' that you want to see Mama Odie. She knows all things about everything, she sure can help you!"

"Mama Odie? Okay, I guess I'll go see her, then," Ignis said, looking around confusedly.

Ray chuckled at her in amusement. "I'll take you to her, I remember you're not from these parts," Ray offered.

"You would? Thank you so much! I'm just so lost," Ignis admitted.

"Well, when you're lost, it just means that you have plenty of options. And I'm knowin' the best one for you," Ray asserted.

"I really appreciate this," Ignis said with a smile.

"Well, bein' honest... I need to stop somewhere first. I was headin' on my way when I saw you needin' some help," Ray said.

"Oh, okay. That's fine. I can wait here, or go with you... or whatever works," Ignis said with a smile, just happy that she had some guidance.

"... I suppose since you're not familiar with the family, you can tag along," Ray said. "I'm just worried 'n all about them teasing me... So I've been goin' alone. You see... There's this gorgeous, wonderful, beautiful girl... Her name is Evangeline."


	8. Chapter 8

"She's... beautiful, Ray," Ignis hesitantly said, as the other firefly presented the love of his life to her. It was a star. In the sky.

"Ma Belle Evangeline... I love her so," Ray quietly said. "She always listens to whatever little ol' thing I have to say. There's no one else out there for me. I'm knowin' it for sure."

_I wonder what world his 'Evangeline' really is..._ Ignis thought to herself. She knew the truth about Ray's "girlfriend", though she didn't know exactly what world "she" was. Even if Ignis could talk about other worlds, she didn't think she would have the heart to inform Ray of the truth. And she couldn't criticize. Was she even better? She pushed away her chance at love. It seemed so impossible for her back then, but seeing Ray's love for something that couldn't love him back seemed to put her feelings into perspective.

"Somethin' wrong?" Ray asked her, noticing her expression grow a little distant.

"Yes... But it's complicated. If you really love someone, don't let them go. Okay?" she said to Ray with a slightly pained smile.

"Of course. And you, too, my darlin'," he said with smile, able to at least figure that there was someone special to Ignis that she was upset over. "Well, we best be gettin' a move on." He said his goodbye to Evangeline, then flew in the direction of Mama Odie's home.

Before going to follow, Ignis looked up to the star. Maybe she would be able to visit this 'Evangeline' someday, somehow.

.x.X.x.

They soon arrived at Mama Odie's home. Ignis looked to it in surprise, wondering how a boat got up in a tree. What if it fell? "This is it? Is it safe?" Ignis asked, looking a little confused. With how much Ray had told her about Mama Odie's abilities, she expected something more luxurious...

Ray chuckled a bit. "Of course it is! Let's head in," he responded, leading the way again. Ignis followed, trusting him. They headed into the boat to meet the resident of this strange place, where she could hopefully get some help.

"Mama Odie! Got a visitor for ya!" Ray called out. Ignis flew up higher in surprise as they were first met by a snake. But it was soon joined by Mama Odie herself. He headed in the direction of his voice with a smile, feeling her way over.

"A visitor Ray? I hope it's not another cousin wanting to run off and marry the first pretty, bright behind that he meets," she joked with a laugh.

Ray laughed in response. "Oh come on, that was only four times! And they're very happy now. But I have for you a stranger. But she ever so nice, and could use some helpin'. Iggie! Get on down here," he bid her.

She smiled a little and rejoined Ray, not feeling in danger despite how big this woman was compared to her firefly self. "Hello, Mama Odie. I'm looking for some help," she nervously said, getting to the point.

"I can tell. A young lady like you has so many things to do, but no idea how to do them," Mama Odie responded, able to tell somehow.

"Y-yes! Exactly! I need to know where Isa is, and how to stop the darkness in me, and what happened to my homes before, and-" she blurted out.

"Slow down, girl! Slow down! Mama Odie knows what you need, and might be able to shed some light on your path," she said, going to rummage through some of her things.

Ray smiled at Ignis encouragingly. She felt hopeful that she would get help, after how the woman seemed to somehow understand her plight. Though, she soon grew worried as Mama Odie started a fire in a large bowl. In the middle of a wooden boat in a tree.

"Oh my dear, so many questions and so many answers... Yet I see the path for you illuminated in the flames," Mama Odie said. Ignis approached, wanting to know more. "Oh darlin', you didn't have such a great start to your journey, did you? And it's only going to get harder! Trials and tribulations I see for you, things that will both shape and break who you are!"

Ignis felt a little frightened at the sound of that. She didn't expect things to get easier, but she didn't want to outright hear that things would get worse.

"Well now, I see hope for you. I see someone you care for, someone you hold close to your heart. That person isn't fully gone. But to regain him, you'll need to sacrifice your salvation for him, or else you'll lose him forever!" Mama Odie predicted.

_Isa? Is that who she's talking about? ... And what salvation?_ she thought to herself, confused. "I don't understand... What do you mean I have to sacrifice? And salvation? From what?" she asked.

Mama Odie chuckled. "So many questions, but I can only say what I see, not answer what I hear. It's up to you to figure out the road to your happy ending," she replied. "Oh, but I see something else. Dearie, I see a desire for revenge. And I must persuade you not follow it! It's out of your hands! You can help and support, but someone else's destiny is already shaped around it. In fact, your fate is intertwined with his, and you'll meet him. But sure to remember your role, and what you hold precious. You can't have everything."

Lingering feelings of unrest from being possessed by darkness and sealed away still occupied Ignis' thoughts sometimes. She didn't think of herself as a vengeful person, though she knew she wanted some sort of retribution from what she suffered. But she would remember Mama Odie's advice. "Okay... I'll remember that when the opportunity comes up..." Ignis said.

"Now, here are some things clearer to me. You have a stranger out there who needs you. Someone who seeks a lost friend, just like you. I see him in a castle, capable of leaving but trapped by worries. You need him, and he needs you. Find him, travel with him! Seek him out, as soon as possible!" Mama Odie continued.

"Okay," Ignis said with a smile. That was definite advice she could easily follow right away. It was just specific enough to where the Star Shard would help with that.

"And one more thing. I'm sorry to say it's a bit more puzzling than anything. It appears to me that you have stumbled upon the beginnings to salvation, though you haven't realized it. The time will come, when keyblades unite, truths are realized, and understandings are reached. When you experience this, think of the first guiding light you found on this journey, and you will find the true key to what you need most of all the things you're wanting," Mama Odie said. With that, the fire in the bowl suddenly blew out, leaving nothing but ashes and smoke.

"I'll try to remember all of that. It seems so confusing to me now, but I'm sure it will be clear later," Ignis said, with hope. She knew where to generally go next. "I'm sorry... I don't have anything to repay you for helping me..."

"Honey, it was an honor meeting a 'traveler' like you. We don't see too many of them in these parts," Mama Odie chuckled as Ray nodded in agreement. The woman seemed to know that Ignis wasn't from around her. By now, Ignis wasn't surprised.

"I'll repay you someday. I will," Ignis promised. "Thank you so much, Ray. I owe you, too."

"Of course, anytime! You be careful on your way, okay?" he asked with a smile.

"I will! Thank you both!" Ignis said happily. She flew up and out through a hole in the ceiling towards a light. She reached an area in Mama Odie's home where lights shone brilliantly through glass and bottles. Ignis couldn't help but stop and admire how beautiful everything was.

And... there was something else. Ignis felt her heart flutter in excitement as she spotted the world's keyhole, its glowing form practically hidden by everything else shining. Ignis remembered Master Eraqus telling her everything about this, and the duty of the keyblade wielder. She summoned her keyblade, proud to accomplish the duty that she had been trained to do, but never got to. Until now.

Ignis raised her keyblade to line it up with the keyhole, ready to lock it and secure this world from falling to darkness.

... But it didn't lock.

Ignis hovered there in shock. Why wasn't it locking? She quickly approached the keyhole and tried to touch her keyblade to it. Still, nothing happened.

_Is it... because I don't have my Mark of Mastery? ... No, that shouldn't make a difference. This should work!_ she thought to herself, trying again in vain to lock the keyhole. But nothing happened. This world was obviously being attacked by Heartless. If she left it behind, would they find the keyhole? What if this world became corrupted, or disappeared?

But Ignis was already on her way towards her goal. She had left Traverse Town, and Mama Odie told her future. She couldn't afford to stay here, in a world she could never fully protect.

Ignis thought of telling Ray what was going on, but she couldn't meddle too much. He was already fighting off the Heartless on his own, so maybe the world would be fine for a while. At least until she was able to come back with a functioning keyblade.

_Is it the keyblade... Or the darkness inside me?_ Ignis shook the thought out of her head, not wanting to think about it. She had no way of knowing right now, and there was no use dwelling on it. It was time to move on. Ignis had stalled enough in her life. It was time to find Isa and set things right. Ignis escaped the keyhole's room, finding herself under the starry sky again. _I have to keep moving..._

With that thought in mind, Ignis raised the Star Shard, and thought of the stranger in a castle that Mama Odie told her to find. She was swept off into the stars, to another destination.

.x.X.x.

Max walked out into the courtyard, thumbing through a book given to him about the properties of worlds in the universe, and what formed them. Boring. Very, very boring. With an annoyed groan, he sat on the edge of the courtyard's fountain, tossing the book to the side in defeat.

"Study, study, study... That's all I do. Nothing useful," he grumbled with a short sigh, resting his chin in his hand and his elbow on his knee. If he was seen slouching like this, someone would correct him. But he was alone right now. In fact, he was all alone. "PJ... Where did you disappear to?" he mumbled worriedly.

All of a sudden, there was a flash and a bang, and the flowerbeds almost seemed to explode in dirt!

"Yes! Better landing- oh no... Oh no, oh no, oh no..." a girl's voice sounded out from the settling dust. There she stood, someone from another world, standing in the ruined flowerbed and fretting about the flowers she had crushed as she had come skidding to a stop on her feet. "This is the worst... Oh, I ruined it..."

"H-hey! Where are you from?" Max hurriedly asked, rushing over to meet her.

"Eh?! Um... I'm visiting... From somewhere else..." she nervously said, avoiding details.

"Cut it out with the vague answers, I know you're from another world," Max said smartly. "Who are you?"

"... I'm Ignis... Traveling the universe with a cracked Star Shard in hopes of finding someone who's apparently sort of gone, but not really," she tried to explain, looking overwhelmed. "It's all kind of a jumble that I'm trying to make sense of, right now!"

"You're traveling the universe? ... Oh, this is perfect! Wait right here, I'll be back!" Max said, realizing the opportunity in front of him. He went to run off to his room.

"Wait up! I don't want to stand here and be caught!" Ignis worriedly whined, running after him and away from the damage she caused.

They reached his room after taking a few confusing turns in the castle. He instantly started packing up some of his things in preparation.

"I don't even know who you are. What are you doing?" Ignis asked, looking a bit exasperated at this point.

"I'm getting ready to go with you. I can be a good sort of guide, and defend you if danger comes at us," Max said, having decided all of this already. "Oh, my name is Max."

"You see, danger is always coming at me. Always. Because I think I'm heading right into it. So... I'm sorry, but I can't bring you with me..." Ignis tried to gently let him down.

"You won't regret bringing me along! I have to get out of here, and this is just perfect," Max insisted, almost finished packing.

"But... Max, there's just too much danger... And you're sort of... young. I don't want to drag you into this," Ignis said.

Max turned to look at her. "I may be young, but I know what I'm doing. I've studied and I've trained, and I really want to get out there and actually do something useful," he explained, though he kept out the fact that he had trained more than studied. "I need to move on out of here... There's someone I have to find..."

Ignis felt a little jolt through her as she remembered what Mama Odie said. A stranger in a castle who is looking for a friend... _You need him, and he needs you_, the words echoed in her head. She really didn't want to put him in danger, though... But when she thought about it, wasn't she also learning how to fight from a young age? She was only fourteen years old when...

Ignis sighed. "Who are you looking for?" she asked.

"A friend of mine... We used to do everything together. We had so much fun, and he made being stuck here slightly more bearable. But then stars started going out, and he and his dad disappeared... Now my dad is gone on a mission for the King. And I'm stuck here, just waiting for something to happen. But now, something has happened. I met you. We can help each other. Please, give me a chance..." he explained.

Ignis sighed, thinking about it and reasoning things out. It matched Mama Odie's prophecy... And Max was saying that he could help. He did seem to know more about what was currently going on in the universe than her. And she was young when she began her training.

Hoping she wouldn't regret this, she sighed, "Okay..."

Max jumped up in victory, excited and happy to be going.

"But if things get too dangerous, I reserve the right to bring you back here! Okay?" Ignis made clear.

"Alright, alright," Max said, almost ready to agree to anything. He thought he would just have to prove how useful he could be to her. If she saw how strong he could be, everything would be fine.

Ignis smiled a bit, pleased to see him so excited, despite her worries. "Let's get going, then. Before someone discovers the flowerbed..."

. . .

(( THIS IS THE END OF ME CONDENSING CHAPTERS ALREADY WRITTEN. Although there are 8 chapters on here, it is up to chapter 14. So if you want to go to my DA account to look at the chapters, it will seem like it's 6 chapters ahead, but it's not. Just a warning! lol

So yeah, Ignis has found her traveling partner, like Sora with Goofy and Donald. Max is probably the age he was in the A Goofy Movie. I know he's not exactly a big main Disney character (even though he first appeared in cartoons a long while ago), but his personality and stuff matched up with Ignis the best. Besides, Huey, Dewey, and Louie are in the games, so yeah~ lol ))


	9. Chapter 9

((Thank you so much for all the reviews! Commentary and critique keep me going~ I really appreciate it all! And if you're interested, I have posted artwork for my fanfiction on my deviantart page. The link should be on my profile, but it's the same username.

Anyways, onwards to the next chapter!)

. . .

Not having much to go on as to what their next destination should be, Ignis and Max took a rough ride via cracked Star Shard to 'whatever world we could really use right now'. They landed in an alleyway in the middle of a cold night's rain.

"Sorry... this Star Shard is defective," Ignis sighed, picking herself up. She went to give Max a hand up when she noticed that their forms were different in this world. They were very small in what looked like a old-fashioned city alley. Max wore a bit more proper clothes, and had more mouse-like features. Ignis looked into a puddle, noticing she had undergone a similar change, wearing a coat over a dress. "I hate dresses," she grumbled. They were cumbersome and got in the way in tight situations.

"Come on, we're getting wet," Max said, pulling her towards a boot nearby before she could figure out if there were pants conveniently under the skirt. The old boot was lying on its side, a bit worn but providing shelter from the rain. "We should wait here until the rain lets up, then figure out what's going on."

"Right," Ignis agreed, going to lean against the inside of the boot. She silently stared out into the rainy alleyway.

"So... what exactly is your story?" Max asked.

"It's long... and complicated," Ignis replied, not sure if she wanted to talk about it with Max.

"We have time," he replied. "Besides, if we're traveling together, maybe we should know more about each other." Deep down, something didn't really sit right with him about Ignis. He trusted her enough to seize the opportunity and leave home. But something just wasn't right about her. He had to be prepared, just in case things might go wrong.

"... I lived in Traverse Town for years before this. I helped defend it against any darkness that threatened it, alongside my friend. It was kind of boring there, despite all of that. So when the chance came, I left," she simply said.

"Oh. Is your friend from there the one that you're looking for?" Max asked, remembering what she had said when they first met.

"No... So, before that, I lived in a different world. I landed there, too. I made two friends, who were very dear to me. They were my first real friends, now that I think about it... Lea was always so funny and kind. And Isa... he..." she trailed off, not sure what to say.

"Oh, I see," he said with a grin, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm looking for the both of them, not just Isa! But Isa... I didn't react well to something he said to me... I was hasty, and lying to myself about my feelings. I really hurt him, I think. And I need to set things right, no matter what that might mean," she said with a slight blush. "But that world was destroyed. I don't know what happened to him when it was destroyed, but a wise old woman told me that he isn't dead. That's all I have to go on right now, besides her saying I have to give up my salvation or something to save him, and I don't even know what that means! I'm finally away from a dead-end town, and I have no clue where to go from here!"

Max chuckled a little as Ignis started rambling and pacing. Though, he was distracting from the conversation by something out of the corner of his eye. There was a little mouse girl peering around the edge of the boot, standing out in the rain. "Ignis, we have company," he said.

She stopped in her tracks, looking towards the opening of the boot. "Oh, hello! Come on in, out of the rain," she said, going to kneel down. The little mouse girl came into boot, looking sad and shy. "What are you doing on your own?"

"I'm... looking for Basil... of Baker Street... Do you know him?" she asked.

"No... Do you have parents or someone you can ask?" Max responded.

Instantly, the girl started crying as she buried her face into her scarf. "That's why I must find B-Basil!"

Feeling bad, Ignis and Max carefully approached her to try to calm her down.

"I say, what are you doing to this poor little girl?" a voice demanded to know. They were joined by another mouse who came to the defense of the girl. Thinking that they were attacking her, he stepped between them.

"No, it's okay, we weren't doing anything. We invited her in out of the rain, and she appears to be in trouble," Ignis said.

"Ignis... We're all in trouble," Max quietly said, looking past the two strangers. Heartless were approaching through the rain, and fast.

"Get back into the boot!" Ignis quickly said to the girl mouse and the mouse in the suit. Seeing that something menacing was coming, they did as she suggested. Ignis summoned her keyblade as Max summoned a lance. He noticed Ignis' keyblade, vaguely remembering something from his studies about keyblades. All he remembered that they were special, and incredibly important.

Not having the time to really stop and think about it, they plunged into the fight together. A bat Heartless and three lesser Heartless attacked them. Ignis sidestepped, lunged, and slashed artfully despite her dress as Max put the lance to good use. Studying wasn't his strength, but he did excel at fighting. They beat the lesser Heartless and worked together to beat the bat Heartless. They managed to ground it, Max pinning it down as Ignis delivered the final blow.

"That was awesome! Did you see that?! We are totally the perfect team!" Max declared, jumping up and pumping a fist into the air at their victory.

"You're really great, Max! I think we will make a good team," Ignis said with a smile, feeling a little more optimistic about bringing him along.

"I do say, what were those ghastly things?" the mouse in a suit asked, stepping out of the boot with the little girl.

"Well... they're dangerous things," Ignis simply said, completely lost as to what to say without giving away that they were from another world.

"There's a local crime ring... that uses special machines. But we know how to fight them off," Max explained, good at making things up like that. "So we should probably stick with you and make sure that you get to where you're going safely."

"Good idea," he replied, giving the girl a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Will you take me to Basil of Baker Street?" she asked, looking a bit hopeful.

"I'm not sure who that is..." Ignis admitted.

"Well, I don't know of any Basil... But I do know where Baker Street is," the mouse in a suit said. "Let's all go, then, before any more of those things find us."

Ignis smiled to Max, glad to be of help to them. As they all walked together, she asked them, "What are your names?"

"I'm Olivia Flaversham!" the little mouse girl replied.

"Dr. David Q. Dawson, at your service," the other mouse responded with a smile.

"Ignis, and Max. At _your_ service!" Ignis replied with a smile.

.x.X.x.

They arrived outside a small door in the rain, hoping that this was the right address. Ignis held Olivia's hand as she looked to the door hopefully. Dr. Dawson knocked on it a few times, and it opened to reveal a disgruntled maid. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, is this the residence of Basil of Baker Street?" Dr. Dawson asked respectfully.

"It is, but he's not home right now. You'll have to come back later," she sighed.

"Actually, Olivia here-" Ignis started to say, but stopped as she realized that the little mouse girl wasn't holding her hand. Olivia had managed to get through the door, looking at some of the odd things scattered around the living area.

"Oh the poor dear!" the maid declared, going to tend to Olivia. She took off her soaked coat and scarf, the other guests forgotten. The three hesitantly entered, taking a look around. There were all sorts of scientific contraptions and tools in plain view. Although no one was working with them, a few things were bubbling and brewing odd mixtures.

"I'll get some of my cheese crumpets," the maid offering, disappearing to the kitchen.

"I guess he's a science person," Ignis quietly said to Max.

"... You mean, a scientist?" Max pointed out her poor use of vocabulary.

"Yes, that," she huffed.

All of a sudden, the front door was flung open as a flash of lightning illuminated the figure in the doorway. A strange, plump mouse in Asian garb rushed in while waving a gun. Without a second thought, Ignis pulled Max behind her, putting herself between him and this strange new mouse with a gun. But they were paid no mind as he ran right by them to get to the science equipment.

A little startled and confused, Ignis asked out, "Who are you, and what are you doing?!"

"Me?" the strange mouse asked. In a swift motion, he yanked off his head, revealing that it had been a mask all along. "Basil of Baker Street, at your service." He pulled a cord, and the Asian clothing deflated. Now a lanky, young mouse, he set aside the costume as Olivia rushed over to him.

"Mr. Basil! I've heard so much about you!" she declared, but he walked right by her. She tried to follow and get his attention as he went to work, but was only brushed off as if she weren't even there.

Dr. Dawson and Ignis looked to each other, both not very pleased with how he was treating the little girl. "Now, see here," Dr. Dawson said, trying to grab Basil's attention. But Basil went to collect all the pillows in the room, piling them into a chair. Without further delay, he fired the gun into the pillows.

The maid returned, going into a frenzy over her pillows as Basil looked through them carefully for the bullet. Apparently, as he compared that bullet to another in his pocket, something didn't match up. He went to his armchair and began to play a sad tune on his violin.

Ignis looked to Max worriedly, then to Olivia. She gave the little mouse girl a nod of reassurance. Olivia went up to Basil and said, "If you would please listen... My daddy was taken, and I need to find him!"

"Shouldn't your mother know where he is?" Basil sighed a little scornfully.

"I... don't have a mother..." Olivia admitted.

Basil cringed and stopped playing his violin. "Oh... Well... See here! I don't search for lost fathers!"

"But he isn't lost, he was taken! By a bat!" Olivia declared.

"... Did you say, a bat? Did he have a gimpy wing?" Basil asked.

"I don't know... But he had a peg leg!" Olivia remembered.

"Ah ha! That bat is known by the name of Fidget. He is the underling of a certain notorious Professor Ratigan! My arch nemesis," Basil declared, revived and eager to help.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Ignis quietly said to Max with a smile. He nodded, happy to have things moving along.

.x.X.x.

Apparently, this Professor Ratigan was an infamous criminal mastermind who was constantly at conflict with Basil of Baker Street. He could come up with almost any scheme imaginable, and had a tendency to believe that he was actually a big mouse instead of a rat. Basil had stopped every one of his plans... But this one was already proving to be tough.

"What could he possibly want with a toy-maker?" Basil wondered aloud, referring to Olivia's father. He paced a bit, thinking of the best strategy to handle this.

"We'll have to find that bat, and see if he can lead us to the secret hideout. Dr. Dawson," he said, getting the doctor's attention. "You, Olivia, and I will pay a visit to my good friend Toy. He should be able to help us."

"Toby?" Dr. Dawson let out, looking confused.

Basil didn't bother to explain, turning to Max and Ignis. "You two... You are both very capable," he said, able to tell just by quickly examining them. "I need you to investigate Miss Flammerhammer's father's shop."

"That's Flaversham! Olivia Flaversham," Olivia corrected him.

"Whatever," he huffed. "Just see if there's anything there that can be used to find Professor Ratigan's secret hideout. Maybe Fidget dropped something."

"We're on it," Ignis said with a reassuring smile.

"Of course," Max agreed.

They wrote down the address to the toy-maker's shop, then located it on a map that Basil had given to them. They hurried off, on a mission to help Olivia rescue her father. They were getting close to the shop, the rain letting up.

"So, you think this Professor Ratigan will give us a lead on our missing friends? It's obvious the darkness is involved, and darkness leads to more darkness," he theorized.

"Oh..." Ignis let out, stopping in her tracks. "I... hadn't thought of that..."

"... Really?" Max responded. "You seem to have experience in this sort of thing... I thought that this was maybe the part of some plan."

"... I guess I was just thinking about Olivia... I feel bad for her. Having no mother, and now her father was taken away," Ignis said, starting to walk with Max again.

"I see. So you were focused on the immediate problem, not what this could lead us to?" Max asked.

Ignis stopped in her tracks again, looking door. "... That Basil... he's really smart, isn't he?"

"I... suppose?" Max replied, confused by the sudden subject change.

"He's solved so many mysteries... And with one look, he could tell how... experienced we are," she praised him. "... I'm not like that. I'm just... average. Well, average borderline stupid. I don't piece things together like that right away. I just go from thing to thing and I try my best... I miss details. I don't understand a lot of things. I can't come up with really good plans. I'm just... not smart. I wish I was, then I probably wouldn't be in the many messes I'm in..."

Max felt a little bad, as she was obviously upset. "... Hey, I don't think that really matters. Back there when Basil burst through the door with a gun in his hand, your first action was to instantly protect me. And you're trying to help Olivia, putting her needs in front of yours," Max said. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that... I really think that you have a good heart. So what if you're not a genius? You really care about other people. You're selfless and brave. I think that more than makes up for any other issues you think you have."

Ignis looked a little surprised by his honesty and words. "You... think I have a good heart?"

"Definitely," Max said. He felt a little less wary and on-guard about Ignis now. Already, she seemed like a good person even though they had barely been together that long.

She instantly smiled and went to hug him. "Thank you so much, Max!"

He hugged her in return, glad to have a partner. "Okay, we should probably move on and investigate this toy shop."

"Right!" Ignis declared, releasing him. "Oh, I suppose I should compliment you now since you were so nice about me."

Max chuckled as they started walking again, Ignis praising him for his perceptiveness and bravery.


End file.
